BRIEF MENTION

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 32, 23 April 1881, Page 339

BRIEF MENTION

Mr. F. Hull, J.P., is in in town on a visit. — Wanted, a constable and a glazier at St. John's College. —The Ponsonby affair won't "gee" at present, and the lady has a bad cold in consequence. — Gladstone is the "People's William" no longer. They call him " Coercion Bill !" — There were two ladies to every gentleman at Mrs. B.s picnic at the North Shore. — Mr. Mattier takes Bob Smart's place at the National Bank, Tauranga. — A letter posted at Taupo a few weeks ago took /ourtcen. days to get to Tauranga. — Mr. Thomas Tanner of Katikati has sold his farm to Mr. Wood. — There is now hotel accommodation at Eotorua for 300 visitors. — The horse track from Rotorua to Cambridge is complete. — At the review the marching past of the No. 3 company was highly eulogised. — The songs of Messrs. Spry, Shaw, and Lewis were well rendered on Monday night at Hele'nsville. — Miss H., of Onehunga, is about to tie the fatal knot with Mr. Jas. T., of the same locality. — Two young ladies in Tain o' Shanters (one of them a blonde beauty) appeared to enjoy themselves amazingly on board the "lona " on Monday. — Five young lads in uniform, riding on a single horse, was one of the equestrian exhibitions at the late review at Te Awaniutu. — The prizes won in the Ponsonby Regatta will be presented on this (Friday) evening at 8 p.m. at the Ponsonby Club Hotel. | — Who were the two gentlemen who appeared at the Lake ball in leggings ? Had they lost their "census" P — Very fine specimens of honey have been exhibited at Hamilton. They were taken from Mr. Gwynne's apiary, where the Langstroth hive is used. — The postmaster at Dargaville has had his hair cut. and the children are no longer afraid to awply for letters, — Misses D — n and 11— d were the belles of the ball, given at Helensville on Monday evening in honor of the West End cricketers. — George Reid was the hero of the evening at the Lake concert. His comic songs are Al. — Miss F., of Auckland, was undoubtedly the best dressed young lady at the Lake concert and ball. — Mr. Smith, the courteous business manager of the Siinonsen Opera Company, leaves for New Plymouth, Wanganui, and Nelson on Monday next. — Some amusement was caused by some of the West End cricketers losing their way in the bush on Tuesday night when returning from Kaukapakapa. — Mine Host of a leading Parnell Hotel went out shooting the other day. Nett result— one shag bowled over at Mercer. — A young lady who is fond of walking in St. George's Bay, got a tremendous ducking the other day through being too much tied back. — Mr. Gradwell returns his hearty thanks to dear Gus for the kind information re houses with chimneys that don't smoke. — It is said that Tom Riccardi's son already shows signs of becoming a great lyric artist. He sings in the usual baby fashion the whole day long. — Who is the gentleman so much given to driving a Newton young lady as far as the Western Park on moonlight nights 'i — Mr. T. Bennett of Ohinemutu,who suffered a severe sunstroke not long ago and whose life was for a time despaired of, is now in a fair way of recovery. — For babies' pictures and children's groups the instantaneous process of Messrs. Martin and Partington is highly successful. — Lord Beaconsfield was not a rich man (as Earls go), neither was ho a great landed proprietor. His only estate was at Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. — The late Mr. Alexander Black, who was an undertaker by trade, made his own coffin about six months prior to his death. — Lotti Wilmot is going to bring criminal actions for libel against the proprietor of the Napier Daily Telegraph and half-a-dozen other Southern papers. — For the last four years of his life Lord Beaeonsfield lived principally on champagne jelly, a luxury which is very difficult to make. — Who was the eccentric individual in the front seat of the stalls at the Opera on Tuesday night diligently combing his hair with a small-tooth comb ? — Arthur P. is all right again. He spurns the insinuation that his indisposition was attributable in the slightest degree to unrequited affection. — Miss W gh, of Waiuku, appears to have enjoyed her visit to the country. "While papa's away the child doth play." — Those who were at the Springs on Saturday may be glad to know that her ankle is quite well again. — A young lady who shall be nameless has informed us confidentially that the boating party up the Waiwera River was a painfully tame affair. — Hymns were indulged in freely at Waiwera on Sunday evening, much to the disgust of many who wanted to "do " the beach. — Those lucky bank clerks, Mr. C. and Mr. W., appeared to have it all tlieir own way amongst the girls at the Springs on Saturday. —Messrs. Harris, Evans, and Smith are looking for the man who made them apple-pie beds at the Waiwera Hotel on Sunday night. What desecration of the Sabbath ! — There is great rejoicing among a large number of the Cambridge people, Mr. Tyndall, the dentist, is in the neighbourhood, and has extracted about forty stumps. — Should the Cadet Corps attend the next review, it is to be hoped some one will be placed in charge of these embryo soldiers, and keep them a little more up to the mark than they were on Monday. —When daylight has faded, and night casts her mantle of darkness over the earth, Davy D., of Epsom, walks down Shorman's Hill, Onehunga, whistling " I'm waiting my darling for thee." — Willie Rattray walked from Waiwera to the North Shore in five hours and a half on Easter Monday, and finished in grand form, It is difficult to rub him out as a pedestrian.

— When will the organist of All Saints' alloAy the efforts of the choir to be heard, and, perhaps, appreciated by the congregation ? At present the singists must find it difficult to hear themselves. — Almost the last words of Thomas Carlyle were " Preserve me from that old body-snatcher, Dean Stanley." The philosopher had a perfect horror of being buried in Westminster Abbey. — Lord and Lady Harris intend starting shortly on a very lengthened totir in India, China, and the Eastern Seas. They intend to reside for some considerable time in Japan. — The friends of Gradwell, the elocutionist, will be glad to learn it is not fever he has been suffering from, but a severe cold caught in the execution of his duty. — On the night of the Queen-street fire two active and intelligent constables were observed dividing a till of money, which, however, contained mostly copper. A correspondent wonders whether they reported the circumstance to Mr. Pardy ? — The prayer-books of the late Empress of Russia were distributed among the various regiments at St. Petersburg, to be preserved in a glass case in the regimental guard-rooms. — Really, Minnie, dear, it was too bad of you to keep the poor girl in school an hour after the others had gone merely because she read the Observer in your august presence. Please don't do it again ; there's a j little cherub. — The gunner on board the "Iona" on Monday appeared to be having a nice little game all to himself. On two occasions he discharged his piece when he ought not to have done so, and another time when he should have fired he did not. On dit that Finlay H., who, a short time since, expressed such bitter disappointment at his refusal by a charming demoiselle, is a " gone coon " again and will shortly lead to the hymeneal altar a fair teacher from Ponsonby Public School. — Cambridge i.s looking up. Mr. Robert Kirkwood, the popular host of the Cambridge Hotel, is building a large house to be used as a private hotel, which, when finished, will form one of the attractions of this rising township. — Lotti Wilniot "slated" the Observer properly in her lecture last Sunday evening. She says " Eva's " notes make the girls vain and giddy, and lead to their going to the bad. Alas ! poor " Eva" what will you do now. — One of the younger sons of Lord Minister, who bears, as everybody knows, King William IV, s arms with a bar siuistei", has 'verted to Roman Catholicism ; so that the Queen has now a near blood-relation in the Roman ranks. — Jim 8., of Onehunga, is getting a great lady-killer. On Sunday week ho wns seen with no less than three damsels who seemed to greatly fancy his long- dress-coat. One, however, was heard to say, " What mukes you wear that tweed cap." — It marred the enect somewhat of the last act of Lucia di Lammcrmoor to observe inscribed on Lucia's tombstone " Sacred to the memory of R. W. Brown." Query : Who was responsible for this </rave error ? — Since the result of the Procofli case became known at Te Aroha the European residents have been going about armed to the teeth. It is fully anticipated that the Maones will commit some fearful outrage ere long to appease the manes of the murdered man. — The attitude of the foreman of the jury which tried the ProcoiH case was from the first favourable to the prisoner, and, when it became known that there was a serious difference twixt the twelve, most people foresaw that he would be acquitted. —A "Thirsty One" hopes that the next Ponsonby Regatta Committee will see that their flagship has something to drink on board. He informs us that he was hunting for the steerage (where he was told the drink was) for half-an-hour, and then gave up the search. — A correspondent would like to know who had charge of the refreshment department on board the " lona "on Monday. He says he made three separate attempts to get near the dinner table, but at last had to give up all ideas of an honest meal till he got home. — Signor > Riccardi ought to eschew lowcrowned and narrow-brimmed "billycocks" like the one he wore on Monday. It does not go well with his luxuriant growth of back hair, neither does it give him the distin<juie look which professors of the lyric drama so much affect. — Rags (says the Liberty) are not always a proof of vagrancy. An instance came under our notice recently. A certain "coloured" man in Christchnrch was offered a shilling by a compassionate passer-by. The reply was — "Keep it, sir; I'm not a beggar, and you may want it for your children !" How's that for high > — Dawson, the Wellesley-street chemist, has invented a compound that will immediately sober a drunken man. He tried it the other day on that wellknown old toper X., who, instead of being pleased, indignantly demanded a crown to get full on again, as he couldn't afford to have the money spent wasted. — The late Lord Beaconsfield didn't like the idea of some graceless descendant bringing shame upon his honoured and famous name, and so when the Queen offered to grant letters patent making the Earldom pass to his brother Ealph (who has a son just 14), ho refused the honour. — Young Sergeant M., of the Artillery, looked charming in his lihiforni while marching down Queenstreet on Sunday morning. He was closely observed by the young ladies, and some of them were even heard to say that they would go for him when he came back from Te Awamutu. — "St. Mungo," writing to the Waikato Times, says : " The late Mr. J. S. McFarlane was, on one occasion, threatened by Mr. Rees with an action for defamation of character. Speaking about the threat to a friend, Mr. Macfarlane said, " Rees has set himself a difficult task, for he will have to prove that he had a character to defame." — The performances by Dean's Minstrels on Easter Monnday and Tuesday at the Lome-street Hall, in celebration of their third anniversary, were a grand success and well patronised. Since their last appearance the company has been strengthened by the addition of several valuable members, and considered as an aniateur trouxse, it deserves the highest praise. — Matrimony is the order of the day at Papakura. A fortnight ago Mr. McKinstry led Miss McNeil to the altar, and a correspondent informs me that marriages are on the tapis between Mr. Wm. Walters, jun., and Miss Willis, Mr. E. J. Willis and Miss Willis and Miss Walters, and Mr. J. Cole and Miss McLennan. May they all be happy, say we. — Anything more doleful than the so-called " comic " cricket match on Saturday last, it has seldom been our lot to witness. We nearly wept when we saw what fools certain folks, who shall be nameless, made of themselves, and when an elderly vocalist attempted the Mountebank business and did it very badly ; hysterics supervened. It is to be hoped Aucklanders will never again have to witness such a sight. — The oleaginous, shirt-fronty, and patch-ouli-perfumed, Ikey Isaacs, is again back at his old post at the theatre, and we are pleased to observe that a temporary absence has had the gratifying effect of somewhat chastening his demeanor. Ikey no longer leads the claque with mistimed vigour, nor disturbs the dresscircle with ill advised cachination. On the contrary he stands behind the circle, subdued and pensive, waiting to show people to their seats when necessary, and in the interim softly stroking his whiskers like a demoniac "Lord Dundreary!"

—According to the Echo, "the Rev. Dr. ™ a aa £ ormerl y Bishop in Auckland, and is ?k,nof r ' C B b P ISh °?A5 aS^ cl '. is locating the canonisation of Dermot O'Hurley,' once Archbishop of Cashel. dLd in^RS ° Üb^ ' • Derm 2 t to be r * vered - He WWi ' + Jt i IS a ,l ntv jt taken nearly three lit« +£ y6arS t0 plllce him ou the calendar. Better late than never, we suppose." —The chief difference between G. A. Brown ESL ° rthodo * al ?^ ti»o end of the world is that he behoves the earth will only be melted, and not burned We ought to be thankful for small me cies like this It wC d tW ?°i° my ° f ? enry VIII. and Anne Bofeyn When that lady was sentenced to be burned some kind friends appealed to the better feelings of the monarch, and Jie generously mitigated the sentence to beheading! n ? ui ? da y morning last we strolled into I dU?™S "i a ttle Ch lUr^b1 Ur^ b situflted on the Mount Eden-road, and were greatly impressed with the inside, S« Wa rp, Ver^ taste x t - ully alld effectively decorated for Easter. The decorations about the altar and altar-rails were particularly chaste, and were confined to natural bSiltbVthP f f SF?ens. This is one of the first churches built by the late Bishop Selwyn, and was lately removed from the point at Parnell to its present position. —There must he a large a number of embryo poets in this province, for we are constantly getting yards of the most astounding dog'-rel Here is a specimen yerse of aw effusion written by a youn<- lady resident at Waiuku, and received on Saturday last— Miss O'C leads the quire (sic), Trains the voices all ; You should hear how high and hie-her Mr. G doth bawl. —Mr. Ansell, of Melbourne, who, next to the Hon. W. J. Clarke, is the richest man in Victoria has been paying a visit to Auckland, accompanied by his daughter and her companion. They are at present stopping at the Star Hotel, but leave for 'Frisco by the outgoing mail steamer. The magnificent rosierc of diamonds worn by Miss Ansell at the opera last week was the cynosure of all eyes, and for a time attracted more attention than the business on tho stage. — One of the most beautiful traits in the colonial working man is tho unquestioned faith which he receives tho verdict of a British jury. At a quarter past ten on Friday morning no one would have spoken to ProcofH or touched Iris hand, much loss have "shouted" for him. At half-past hundreds were viemg with each other for the honor, and doing their level best to celebrate the wretched man's release from prison by making him blind drunk. — Two rather good stories are told of Drake, whose tall figure is so familiar on the racecourse. On one occasion he was, as usual, walking up and down crying "I lay! Hay! Hay!" when a rag-a-muflm exclaimed, " It's a confounded lie ! Drakes don't lay." Another day lie was giving utterance to the same outcry, with his head gracefully inclining to his shoulder as it invariably does, when another impudent larrikin shouted out, " Lay your tarnation head on the other shoulder." The larrikin ducked as Drake attempted to stroke him down. — Scene at an Opera Kehearsal : Conductor to Chorus Master — "Oh! Mon Dieu, vot is zat!" Chorus Master to Conductor — -"Was ist was >" Conductor — " Zat damn noise. Vy you no i>luy like zis ?" (Plays fiddle.) Chorus Master (thumping piano)— "l play de notes." Conductor — "You lie!" Cliorus Master — " Dv bist another." Conductor (hits him — "Take zat!" Chorus Master (grabbing him by the throat) — " Verdante Frenchman/" Conductor — " Sacre Prussian!" A FmncoPr iissian war ensues, ending in a grand finale. Pizzicato-fisticato-obligato. A general amnesty and a drink all round at the manager's exx^euse. Fact. — To the Editor: Sir, — Will you allow one of your distant readers to assure you that whether there is cruelty proved on tho part of any particular person at the Whau Asylum or not, that I can bear strong testimony to the kindness— extreme kindness— and forbearance shown by a warder to the late patient P. J. — who suffered from tho worst and most repulsive form of lunacy. I had permission to see him ftny time, and called at strange hours on behalf of his friends in London. I always found him clean and well cared for ; I wish I could remember the warder's name, I would give it you. I thought the whole tone of treatment, as far as the servants of the place were concerned, was excellent ; I wish I could say the same for all the asylums in the colony. — Apologising for trespassing on your space, I remain yours, &c, John Hexei* Pickarik. — A very agreeable social gathering in celebration of the opening of Winks and Hall s new warehouse took place last Thursday. The young people largely preponderated, although there was a very fair sprinkling of frowsy-pows and a good number of married couples. Mr. McMaster was quite a model master of ceremonies, for he managed to satisfy the desires of old dancers by providing for a country dance, while the young ones were allowing plenty of polkas and mazurkas, but only one waltz. Pretty and dimpled little Miss T. was the belle, though Miss M. certainly contested the honour with her ; while old B. was the gay Lothario of the evening — a regular lady-killer, as the admiring apprentices declared, His posturing in the mazes of Sir Koger de Coverley was simply irresistible. The supper was chiefly remarkable for Mr. H.s numerous speeches and for old. X.'s diabolical attempt to be witty after the Doric fashion. He was certainly funny. The dancingwas stopped at 3 o'clock, to the great grief of the leading "stutters," who tried hard to persuade the M.C. to protract the amusement till daylight. — We (Dunedin Echo) are glad to be able to inform our readers that perusing or listening to "H.M.S. Pinafore" is not heretical. The editors of our orthodox contemporary the N.Z. Christian Record have been doing either one or the other, for in the last issue we read: — "The operetta (i.e., 'Pinafore') is superior to much of the stuff offered for the delectation of playgoing people." We almost fancy we hear the two editors indulging in the duet of the Captain and Dick Deadeye : " Kind Captain, I've important information, Sing hey, the kind commander that you are." We wonder where this play -reading or theatre-going will end. When the editors of the Uncord can amuse themselves with " Pinafore," we suppose the members of their flocks can venture to look at " Hamlet." One of the lines of Sir Joseph Porter's, X.C.8., song we knew was exceedingly applicable to those whose faith transcended their reason, namely : " And I never thought of thinking for myself at all," and we suppose this good line must have recommended the opera to the favourable consideration of the reverend editors of our contemporary. — To the Editor : Sir, — A paragraph with reference to Mr. Trevithick's picture of the Auckland Regatta somehow found its way into the Observer of last week, and, in justice to that gentleman, and for the credit of your paper, it ought not to be allowed to pass unnoticed. The degree of nautical ignorance displayed by the writer of the said paragraph approaches the pathetic, and this being so, one might charitably leave the would-be critic in merciful obscurity without fear that such criticism as his would very deeply injure the professional reputation of the artist criticised. But many may read tho paragraph, who have not seen the picture, or, who, having seen it, do not possess the requisite technical knowledge of boating to detect the litter silliness of the remarks in question. Probably the acute individual who discovered that Mr. Trevithick had, in his picture, represented the wind as blowing from opposite points of the compass at the same time, is unaware that this artist is, by profession, a naval architect who has been practically connected with yachting all his life, and would be as likely to make the mistake attributed to him, as the winner of the Queen's Prize at Wimbledon would be to miss a haystack at a hundred yards. The fact is — as anyone who can tell a boat from an omnibus, can plainly see — that the competing- schooners are depicted sailing as close to the wind as possible, some on one tack, and some on the other, the wind being almost in their teeth. I fear thab art criticism in Auckland is of an order distinctly local in its humourous subtlety, for instance, the Herald man's remark abovit the same picture that the boats were all white except one, and that was black, " Why black ?" he asks with exquisite humour. His next witticism will be to ask why grass is painted green!— l am etc., Gerald Peacock.